New Endowed JBU Scholarship Honors Dr. Marquita Smith
SILOAM SPRINGS, Arkansas (April 30, 2021) – John Brown University announced today the establishment of the Dr. Marquita Smith Endowed Scholarship for Black and African American students at the university.
Since the earliest days of European exploration and settlement in the region, African-Americans have contributed to the development of Arkansas,” said Dr. Michelle Satterlee, assistant professor of psychology and co-chair of the JBU Diversity Committee. “The Dr. Marquita Smith Endowed Scholarship is a way for John Brown University to honor the contributions of those who came before and recognize those who will lead in days to come.”
In honor of Dr. Smith, who worked at John Brown University from 2010 to 2020, the scholarship is available to African American or Black students from Arkansas and the surrounding states, and includes opportunities for funding, mentorship, and community collaboration-—all elements of scholarship and leadership that Dr. Smith modeled for her students at JBU.
The scholarship was initiated by Dr. Jacob Stratman, dean of the College of Bible, Humanities and the Arts, and his wife Julia, and financially supported by additional JBU faculty and staff who worked alongside Dr. Smith and witnessed her vision for a university that might serve all of its students well, especially those who come from the region and move forward as change agents.
The first scholarship will be offered to a student for the fall of 2021. Students from Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana, Kansas and Missouri are eligible.
JBU has 320 endowed scholarships established by generous donors that award nearly $2.8 million in scholarships to more than 560 students annually. A minimum $10,000 is required to establish an endowed scholarship and many donors continue to add to their scholarship year after year.
John Brown University is a leading private Christian university, training students to honor God and serve others since 1919. Arkansas’ top-ranked regional university (U.S. News Best Colleges, 2021), JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 37 states and 48 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, online and concurrent education programs. JBU offers more than 40 undergraduate majors, with top programs including nursing, psychology, kinesiology, engineering, biology, family and human services, and graphic design. Eighteen graduate programs are available in the areas of business, counseling, cybersecurity, education and higher education.
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